LANSING — Michigan State Police say several protestors have been arrested for disobeying lawful command, trying to push their way into Senate chambers.

Police sprayed chemical munitions into a crowd when it tried to rush the Senate floor, said Michigan State Police Inspector Gene Adamczyk.

“When several of the individuals rushed the troopers, they used chemical munitions to disperse the crowd,” he said. “It would be a lot worse if someone gets hurt and I failed to act.”

The police, who said the building was at capacity, blocked the entrance to the Capitol, leaving several hundred people outside waiting to get inside.

Adamczyk said later the building wasn’t at capacity, but that the protesters were so heavily concentrated in a few areas, including jam packed outside the Senate, that they didn’t want to add to that crush of people.

State police have blocked the outside doors to the Capitol, saying no more people are being let into the Capitol for fear of the building’s structural integrity.

Senate Democrats said they have filed a lawsuit seeking to lift the lockdown.

A State Journal reporter witnessed one woman being escorted away in handcuffs. An exact number of arrests was not immediately available.

Just before 1 p.m., union members were forming a line surrounding the state Capitol as part of demands that they be let inside. An estimated 700 to 1,000 people are inside the Capitol.

About 500 people are in front of the Capitol.

State police said two platoons of 32 state police officers are stationed at Capitol today.

Updated: Thu 12:58 PM, Dec 06, 2012

Back to WILX - Breaking

Protesters Arrested At Capitol

At least four people have been arrested inside the state capitol as noisy protests against right to work legislation grow.

Michigan State Police Inspector Gene Adamczmk says that protesters are trying to rush into secure areas of the Capitol and are also lying down on the floor.

The doors to the Capitol have been locked to prevent more protesters from entering.

News 10 reporter Brian Johnson reports that about 500 protesters were inside the Capitol as of mid-day.

Governor Snyder and legislative leaders announced that right to work legislation will be introduced Thursday afternoon.

No comments:

Pan-African News Wire

The Pan-African News Wire is an international electronic press service designed to foster intelligent discussion on the affairs of African people throughout the continent and the world. The press agency was founded in January of 1998 and has published thousands of articles and dispatches in newspapers, magazines, journals, research reports, blogs and websites throughout the world.
The PANW represents the only daily international news source on pan-african and global affairs.
PANW editor Abayomi Azikiwe is often solicited by various newspaper, radio and television stations for comment and analysis on local, national and world affairs. He serves as a political analyst for Press TV and RT worldwide satellite television news networks as well as other international media in the areas of African and world affairs. He has appeared on numerous television and radio networks including Al Jazeera, CCTV, BBC, NPR, Radio Netherlands, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, South Africa Radio 786, Belgian Pirate Radio, TVC Nigeria and others.